Ricky Rudd's unhappy with NASCAR, Nadeau gets the axe, and next week's all-star race.
Ricky Rudd's Unhappy With NASCAR............
The Winston Cup driver that will take over the title of "Iron Man" is getting disillusioned with the direction in which NASCAR is heading. Rudd tied Terry Labonte's record of 655 consecutive starts last week at Richmond and is set to break the record at Charlotte when he races in the Coca-Cola 600.
The 45 year old driver is in his 21st season as a Winston Cup driver. His contract with Robert Yates Racing runs out at the end of this season and he is considering retirement. He claims to be unhappy with the way NASCAR is being marketed and is unsure about the direction of the sanctioning body's future. Rudd thinks that the "young Guns" are taking over NASCAR's marketing objectives and that the older drivers aren't getting the much deserved recognition that they have earned.
Rumors are rapidly circulating through the garage area about several driver changes and Rudd is aware that his name has come up in lots of those discussions, some of which include Elliott Sadler's moving plans. It looks like Silly Season has started early this season! Regardless of which direction that Rudd heads off to, his number one goal is to stay with the No. 28 Havoline team. He has however decided to limit any future contracts to those covering one year at a time. He doesn't want to get involved in any situation that he can't get out of by the end of any particular season.
Rudd's disenchantment with NASCAR is really no surprise. He isn't the only driver to feel the heat and wonder where he stands in the sanctioning body's plans. The new TV deal has turned a few of the drivers sour on what they thought was a life long career. Some of them feel that NASCAR sold its soul to the devil. It has become apparent that the TV networks have wormed their way into a lot more control of the race schedules, race start times, driver's personal time, and appearance scheduling. The older drivers seem to be the lowest on the totem pole when and if any consideration is meted out, while all of the emphasis in the media is being lavishly extolled on the "young guns."
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